batavia

It seems fair to say that Daniel Calkins was persistent when it came to applying for a job with Genesee County.

The former Marine Reservist, pastor and residential coordinator had wanted to be executive director of the Youth Bureau, and he applied once before attempting it again this year. The position has been temporarily filled by Interim Director Chelsea Elliott, and county officials wanted to permanently fill it.

As someone who has enjoyed working with and encouraging youth, Calkins finally snagged what perhaps he’d call the perfect position.

“I think it's a dream job for me being able to work with the youth and influence their development and their lives,” he said by phone while driving to his home in Attica. “Also, it's a great move for my family. It's a stable position and I think it's something I could do for quite a while.”

The 2007 Batavia High School graduate had grown up on Batavia’s south side, attending Genesee Community College before enlisting in a six-year leg with the U.S. Marine Reserves. After that, he completed his studies at GCC and obtained his bachelor's degree in Community and Human Services at Empire State College.

Calkins has always wanted to be a social worker, he said, but slightly strayed with a Master’s of Divinity Degree from North Eastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College. It was either go for a Master's in Social Work or Divinity, and he chose the latter, still with a heart to work with youth, he said.

“But then I just decided to do a Master's in Divinity at the time because I was working at the church with the option of going back and actually getting my bachelor's in social work,” he said. “I was just really open to how I felt, the world was leading me and God was leading me into what you want to be working on at that time. So I didn't really have a plan per se.”

Calkins was pastor of the Next Generation program at Northgate Church in Batavia for four years, and more recently worked at Arc GLOW as residential coordinator for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He begins his new job as Youth Bureau executive director August 1.

“So I took a job when it became available at Arc; I had applied for the Youth Bureau position in the past, and I didn't get it. But, you know, I always had my eyes on it because I love working with the youth,” he said. “I think it's important that people are intentional about the development of the young people in the world. Rather than letting the world shape them, we have to take an active approach in making sure that their development is meaningful, and that it's on the right path.”

He doesn’t believe that enough emphasis is put on the amount of development that takes place during one’s childhood and adolescence. That’s the crucial time that “you become the person that you're going to be,” he said.

Calkins, whose Facebook page has a backdrop of a cheese-and-pepperoni pizza, married his high school sweetheart, Deanna. They have two boys, with another one on the way, and are expected to have a birthday in early September.

The pizza, you might wonder, is significant as part of the many hats that Calkins wears, he said. He and a buddy make pizzas for wedding receptions as a “little side hobby.” That’s due to his appreciation for “learning how to do new things.”

There might just be a pizza activity once he’s on board at the Youth Bureau, he said, along with many other recreational ideas he has in store. The 34-year-old's leadership style may seem a bit more peer than the boss.

“I like to lead next to people, I like to walk beside people in life. Rather than tell people what to do, I like to help them figure out what they want to do,” he said. “And I love humor and use humor quite a bit. I can be very silly and childlike myself. But I also have a passion for justice and just making sure there's a relative fairness in life and helping the people that may feel behind or put behind by society or whatever, to have an opportunity as well to be the best person that they can be called to be.”

There were four candidates for the position, County Manager Matt Landers said. Dan stood out with his enthusiasm, energy, noticeable preparation for the interview and experience, Landers said.

“(Those) were all factors in the search committee unanimously recommending Dan for the position. The search committee was made up of representatives from the County Legislature, Human Resources, DSS, the Manager’s Office and the Genesee County Youth Advisory Board,” Landers said. “Dan has a good amount of experience working directly with youth and developing youth programming that reaches kids, especially at-risk youth. Dan has spent his professional career working with youth and people with disabilities, striving to make meaningful improvements in the quality of their lives.”

Landers also acknowledged the two veteran employees and Chelseas — Chelsea Elliott and Chelsea Green — who have “stepped up big time during this period of transition, none bigger than Interim Executive Director Elliott,” he said. 

“I look forward to Dan working with our two Chelseas to learn the ropes and put his stamp on the department,” Landers said. 

That’s exactly what Calkins plans to do, in an effort to build relationships, and allow people to learn who he is and about his intentions, so they can see “that I'm safe, and I'm here to help them.”

“And I'm there to provide more meaningful experiences for the youth in the county, and the families as well. I think the best way to reach youth is for their parents to trust you,” Calkins said. “I have a passion for working with people. So we're not going to duplicate any services that are already happening in the community, we’ll work in partnership with them, and help them make what they're doing better.

“I feel ecstatic. I'm so excited. I feel like I am bursting with ideas,” he said. “And I don't have a particular agenda. It's just to be helpful. And make sure that people's lives in the community are meaningful and that they have the opportunity for education.”

Submitted photo of Daniel Calkins.

It didn’t take long for word to spread that Batavia’s Cornerstone Church was hosting the enormous and controversial Reawaken America Tour.

Pastor Paul Doyle spoke to organizers a few days ago after a planned event was cancelled in Rochester. Doyle was asked if Cornerstone could do it as they investigated various options, and he said that it could be an option. 

He expects there to be 500 to 1,000 baptisms during the two-day event.  It has been set for August 12 and 13 at the church on Bank Street Road.

“As far as the backlash, to be quite honest with you, I really didn't follow what was happening in Rochester. I mean, basically, from a distance. I caught wind that there was some opposition to the event, but I can't say I really followed it,” he said. “And I certainly didn't know the extent of it to the point where they would actually cancel the event at the venue.”

Reawaken America was initially a Health and Freedom event that began during the pandemic. It was renamed the Reawaken America Tour in 2021, and has visited several venues across the country. Led by Clay Clark, the event has featured dozens of speakers, including Roger Stone, General Michael Flynn and Mike Lindell, of the My Pillow fame. It purportedly began as an anti-vaccination and pro-freedom rally, although Doyle sees it as a patriotic event that focuses on God and Jesus Christ. As for claims that white supremacist groups, including the Proud Boys, show up at these events, he believes that’s an assumption about what could happen.

“We have no affiliation with the Proud Boys; I don’t even know who they are. Anybody could show up, the KKK could show up. I feel like it’s being overdramatized. We’re not promoting violence,” he said. “I don’t know why people are so fearful of a narrative. If anyone is disruptive or hostile, they will not be welcome. I sure hope white supremacists don’t come.”

He would like people to not be persuaded by reports of other events and hearsay, and instead go by Cornerstone’s good works. For example, church members took “truckloads of food and clothing” to people affected by the mass shooting at Tops in Buffalo.

“We supported an African American community … bringing truckloads to people that are hurting.  It broke our hearts to see what was happening there. We’re not doing a bad thing, we’re doing a good thing. We look and see what the word of God says,” he said.

He can’t read people’s minds and hearts, he said, and won’t necessarily know if someone has ill intent if they attend. The church has seasoned law enforcement professionals to help with security, and he plans to connect with local law enforcement before the tour arrives.

Doyle expects the event to be a “civil, peaceful Godly event.” It will be on private property and the concerns are merely speculation and assumption at this point, he said.

“We’re gonna talk about Jesus Christ, we're gonna talk about salvations. And, to me, it's an upright, Godly event, if somebody wants to paint it something different than that, that's not coming from me.”

Photo of Pastor Paul and Lee Doyle from cornerstone.org.

A lithium battery is the likely cause of a small fire in a hotel room at the Red Roof Inn on Park Road in Batavia, according to a release from the Town of Batavia Fire Department.

The town was dispatched on an alarm of fire at 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, and hotel staff confirmed a short time later that there was a fire in a guest room.

The hotel was evacuated.

The fire, contained to a small corner of the room, was put out with an extinguisher and the structure was ventilated. Guests were allowed to return to their rooms a short time later.

A hotel guest sustained a minor burn on a foot and was transported by Mercy EMS to an area hospital for treatment.

According to the Department, the cause of the fire was a lithium-ion battery from a remote control car that overheated while being charged.

The Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene.

Editor's note: This is a continuation of a series about what's happening in the city of Batavia

An attractive, modern entrance; sturdy and leak-free roof; thriving retail shops alongside well-established medical practices, and an onslaught of patrons wanting to visit, shop, eat and enjoy a welcoming space.

Not exactly what many locals envision with the current City Centre. An Urban Renewal nightmare. A property that’s co-owned and managed by the city of Batavia and individual merchants. City Centre hasn’t gained a reputation in recent years as a place to enjoy. Not in the concourse, with buckets catching drips from a roof and a deadened atmosphere from vacated properties and decreased foot traffic.

But that can — and will — change, city officials say. With a fair amount of work done so far — Phase I of a roof replacement, with Phase II in the works — there’s more to be done, Public Works Director Brett Frank said.

Each of the four silos that serve as entry and exit ways into the Centre are to be redesigned. He doesn’t have a definite timeline but said the process begins with design, and once that comes back and it all gets approved, the city will go out for bid on the project. He is also making sure that the cost is within the city’s construction budget, he said.

“Basically, the design of the silos is that it’s just your entryway into the City Centre … those are supposed to be architectural features that draw people in. The design is kind of up in the air right now. If it's something that, maybe, could possibly be more in line with the redesign that's taking place with the brickwork of City Hall — the hallways, Insurance Center to Islands Hawaiian Grill,” he said during a group interview with The Batavian. “But that's all kind of up in the air. So we're not exactly sure what we will get back from engineers; I'm sure either way, it's gonna look improved from what we have now. It will make it more inviting.”

Called silos because they are cylindrical in shape and stand separated from the mall with a set of doors to trap the outdoor air, these points of entry for visitors have been less than welcoming. Buckets stationed just inside the doors, and then throughout the mall, have made for jokes rather than an impressive image.

Time for a Rewind
After years of being embroiled in litigation, both the merchants and the City of Batavia agreed to a settlement in October 2017. The city agreed to repair, maintain and pay for items within the 46,000-square-foot public concourse and the merchants agreed to pay a yearly property maintenance user fee to the city.

Fees are $2.06 per square foot of each merchant’s individual property, which means different totals for each merchant, depending on the size of the business. Tabelski likens it to a condo or neighborhood association fee.

Part of the city’s agreement has meant employing one full- and two part-time employees to make the necessary repairs and maintain the concourse. These city positions are paid for with the user fees, Water and Wastewater Superintendent Michael Ficarella said.

“They do anything from mopping floors to changing lightbulbs to taking care of ceiling tiles,” he said.

It may not have been what everyone wanted, but it’s now about making the best of the situation, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said.

“So the agreement, as of the effective date (Oct. 24, 2017), affecting the mall, including the development and operating agreement, and the common facilities agreement of 1987:The city shall, for purposes of mall redevelopment and repairs, retain ownership of the mall concourse … the members of the Mall Merchants Association, their guests, customers, invitees shall continue to enjoy the rights to access the mall concourse, as has been customarily provided to each merchant. The mall concourse will be open to the public at reasonable times,” Tabelski said.

“So that's kind of the obvious portions of it. And then this section of the settlement agreement is called capital improvement. The city needed to develop a scope of work and bid specification to repair and improve the existing roof silos and skylights at the mall concourse collectively called the roof repairs," she said. "In the agreement, it was noted that they would keep the merchants apprised through the development of the scope of work, provide copies of these specifications and provide the proposal to the merchants for review.”

The Here and Now 
According to the agreement, roof repairs were supposed to be completed by March 31, 2021. One large roof project had to be broken into two parts so that the city could pay for and finance it. The first chunk cost more than $763,000 and Phase II will be approximately $218,000, Frank said. 

“So far, it's been rooftop unit number nine, that's been the biggest one,” Frank said.

He and Ficarella promised there would be no more buckets dotting the internal mall landscape. 

Pre-COVID, the city had been awarded $1 million from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, and had plans to repair/replace the concourse roof, redesign and construct new silos, and paint the floor and walls, thereby improving the entire interior look of the concourse, Tabelskis said.

But after COVID and the ensuing pandemic hit, a lot happened in the construction world.

“As we had gotten into the project and COVID occurred, and these crazy construction price overages and inflation had occurred, we kind of settled to the point where we probably were only going to be able to do the first phase,” she said.

“That's how we ended up with phase two of the mall roof replacement. Because it was originally, like 2019, and then the second phase was (scheduled to be) from 2020 to 2021,” she said.

Aside from those repair expenses, it takes about $225,000 to operate the mall and concourse space, Tabelski said. That pays for anything needed, and the general fund “does not in the traditional sense have to support the mall, because we're able to operate it by using the user fees,” she said.

The concourse stage has been used for seasonal and impromptu concerts when the weather turns bad, and Batavia Players have occasionally performed or run their acting lines while standing on it, Ficarella said.

The stage still is still useful, he said, as a concert venue during inclement weather, Christmas in the City, and other prospective special events.

Funding for the first phase is from a funding reserve, and about $120,000 is being taken from that $1 million for the silo design process. The remaining money will go for actually redesigning those silos. The city also has received a National Grid Urban Corridor Grant to help with economic development projects in the city, Tabelski said.

“We can apply some of those funds to the project as long as we're doing exterior work, and improving what we call the kind of the urban corridor of a City Centre as well. The budget was going to go a lot further four years ago, when the grant was awarded. But as we got into COVID, and changes in leadership at the city, we're finally getting back to getting the project moving. It's just the season we live in now that the money's not going to go as far as it used to.”

That doesn’t mean that an interior facelift can’t happen, she said, as “there's definitely the ability to start to look at budgeting for flooring and painting improvements.”

Moving Forward
There have certainly been the naysayers suggesting that the mall just be torn down. So how do city officials get people excited about a structure described as wasteful, an eyesore and dead?

Perhaps some perspective steeped in reality would help. The mall has a Merchants Association with individual property owners who run their businesses, medical practices and personal services out of that space. The city has no claim to those properties and therefore cannot just go in and tear it all down.

Tabelski also wants to remind folks that these are viable businesses that have invested money, time and effort into their mall properties. At one time, several years ago, there was talk of slicing off a portion of the mall and restructuring some of that building. That was then, this is now, Tabelski said.

“I would say those are definitely plans that are out there. But because of the nature of the condo-ized situation at the mall right now, the city's trying to make the best use of the property we have, and bring people down to this corridor and work with what we have,” she said. “So the taking down any portions of the mall is not on the table right now.”

Up next: Moving Forward, continued

Go here for prior coverage about the city and mall settlement 

Photo of mall silo in Batavia; Valentine-themed buckets in 2020. Photos by Howard Owens. Dare to dream? These front entrances of Gemdale Plaza and Castle Mall are showy with lots of light and windows. Photos of "Mall Entries" by Sruthy Sukumaran.

There are 13 students participating in the third annual week-long Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Teen Academy at Genesee Community College this week. The program was started by Deputy Matthew Butler in 2018 while he was a School Resource Officer at Byron-Bergen High School. Butler retired in 2019, and the academy was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

This is the first year the program has been at Genesee Community College, which organizers chose for its central location in Genesee County.

“Byron-Bergen was a great host, but we received feedback that the location was a long haul for some. GCC is a central location, and it is readily available for kids from every school district in Genesee County,” says Deputy/SRO Rich Schildwaster, who is now Lead Deputy of the Teen Academy.

GCC also offers virtual technology, which is new to the program this year.

“We did not have this option a couple of years ago and its one of the things we have been able to add because GCC has a simulator here as part of their criminal justice program,” Schildwaster said.

Students walk into a virtual reality and have a scenario going on in front of them where they interact with people on the screen.

“The scenario can go in different directions. They may be presented with a deadly force encounter, or they may not. They have to make that judgement. It gives them that perspective. Scenarios range from a traffic stop where you walk up to a car and deal with a person to maybe an active shooter situation where you show up in front of the building and people are running out, and you go in and you have to appropriately handle that or try and make decisions like a law enforcement officer would.”

The VirTra Training simulator at GCC has also been used by local law enforcement agencies over the past few years to help prepare law enforcement officers for real-life incidents and different scenarios.

The goal of the Teen Academy is to attract good candidates to the law enforcement field. The academy is run like an actual police academy. Each day begins with physical training like CrossFit, which Deputy Chad Cummings and Investigator Chad Minuto organize.

Students have attended instructional classes on investigations, penal law, traffic stops, defensive tactics and a Stop the Bleed class where students can recognize life-threatening bleeding and intervene effectively.

On the last day of the academy, students will tour the jail, the courthouse, the Sheriff’s Office, dispatch center, view an ERT demonstration and attend communications and jail staff presentations. Students will take a final PT test, final exam, and attend a review followed by an afternoon graduation ceremony.

Schildwaster says his first year organizing the academy has been a great experience and the local community has stepped up to assist.

“We have a great community here, not all of our instructors are from the Sheriff’s Office. Everyone in the community has jumped on this whole-heartedly and embraced us. Everybody’s dedication makes all this come together because everyone believes in it and is excited to do this. It’s a good program for the kids.”

Top photo: Paramedic Wade Schwab talks with students of the Teen Academy Wednesday morning at GCC. Students participate in the Stop the Bleed class; Investigator Joe Loftus teaches Defensive Tactics class on Wednesday afternoon; Investigator Kevin Forsyth also teaches Defensive Tactics class on Wednesday afternoon; Deputy SRO Jeremy McClellan with students on Wednesday morning; and Deputy Morgan Ewert, left, Paramedic Wade Schwab, center, and Deputy Jordan Alejandro, right, with students on Wednesday. Photos by Alecia Kaus.

Press Release:

ITHACA, NY (07/20/2022)-- Ithaca College congratulates students named to the Dean's List for the spring 2022 semester. They are:

Aleah Callan of Batavia 

Brianna Warrant of Corfu

About Ithaca College

Founded in 1892, Ithaca College is a residential college dedicated to building knowledge and confidence through a continuous cycle of theory, practice and performance. Home to some 5,200 students, the college offers more than 90 degree programs in its schools of Business; Communications; Humanities and Sciences; Health Sciences and Human Performance; and Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Students, faculty and staff at Ithaca College create an active, inclusive community anchored in a keen desire to make a difference in the local community and the broader world. The college is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top producers of Fulbright scholars, one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly schools in the country, and one of the top 10 colleges in the Northeast.

Press release:

The Friends of the Rink organization donated $700.00 to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Foundation to support their grant program for youth sport organizations in Genesee County. The $700.00 represents the proceeds from a hot dog sale fundraiser recently held during the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena naming ceremony, which was attended by over 150 people.  Friends of the Rink volunteers planned and staffed the fundraiser and sold 120 hot dogs in the two hours of operation.

Photo: In the front row, Hunter Sprague, Dylan Grice, Ronan McCarthy, Carley Grice, and in the back, Brian McCarthy (David M. McCarthy Memorial Foundation), Bob Gray (Friends of the Rink), Mike McCarthy (David M. McCarthy Memorial Foundation) Provided photo by Kristine McCarthy

Sometimes no action can be a good thing, especially when it comes to construction sites.

Project Executive Mark Bollin, of The Pike Company, shared that during his Genesee County Jail progress report to the county’s Public Service Committee this week.

“As it relates to safety, there have been no lost-time accidents at all. And all the contractors continue to abide by the OSHA requirements and their own safety plans, contracts, bonds and insurances,” he said. “All prime contracts have been fully executed, the contract for the special inspections and testing has been finalized and executed. With the stormwater prevention plan, there's been no issues.”

Those housekeeping details have helped to ensure a good flow of communication, he said.

“Communication is going really well, with the county, engineers and contractors.”

Foundation work has included stockpiling and stabilizing topsoil, creating an infiltration test pond, underground utilities and fire and water infrastructure is a little over half complete, at 55 percent, he said.

Senior Project Manager Carl York said that backfills were to begin this week, and all contractors are working on a three-dimensional model of the building to make sure everything fits according to plan.

In addition to the actual physical work, however, there has been that critical element of open communication and cooperation, York said.

“Ever since we started the job, and quite intensely the last month, all the contractors have been working on the final baseline schedule. The general contractor has been meeting with each of the contractors to get their information, and we've had separate meetings where everybody's together and everybody goes through the schedule and agrees on the logic in there. That same schedule has been sent to Pike scheduling department for review and comment and is now finally been finalized,” York said. “This is going extremely well. The meetings are very well attended, it’s very positive. We’re getting a lot done. It’s a very positive process right now.”

Rainy weather — though needed for brown lawns and thirsty crops — caused contractors to lose three and a half days of work. It’s “nothing out of the ordinary,” Bollin said.

Construction trailers are all in place, and remaining contractors are to bring in their trailers over the next couple of months, usually around August, York said. National Grid has yet to provide its design for getting power out to the site, he said.

“It's still in design and up in Albany, so we're still facing that. National Fuel did come out and walk the site. But they have not provided us anything for their design yet for the gas coming over to the proper foundation,” he said.  “All of the contractors and the design team are all working on the 3D model of the building, looking for clash infections and making sure that everything's going to fit. We're about a third of the way through that whole process.”

“If we didn't include that in the original bids, we didn't know what we're going to be encountering. Once we saw what the site was going to be like this was the best thing to do to create a stable work area so that the site's not muddy and progress would not be delayed by rain like this,” he said.

County Legislator Shelley Stein asked him what the greatest challenge has been. With little pause, he said “material availabilities.” Obtaining necessary materials has been difficult, and at times “we can’t even get sample kits,” he said.

“I’m most concerned about the National Grid and getting power to the site. Our switchgear getting here, and then the rooftop, those are our biggest worries. I mean right now that we've got time budgeted in the schedule for this, but if they start slipping, then those are all critical items that will directly impact the schedule.”

The new jail, adjacent to County Building 2 and Genesee County Animal Shelter on Route 5 in Batavia, is still on track for a March 2024 completion, Bollin said.

Photo: Mark Bollin, left, and Carl York discuss the progress of Genesee County Jail during the Public Services meeting this week. Photo by Joanne Beck.

Scott Francis McColl, 51, of Black Street Road, Pavilion, is charged with Felony DWI (alcohol or drugs), moving from lane unsafely, and operating an unregistered motorcycle. McColl was reportedly involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident at 8:56 p.m., July 14, on Summit Street Road Pavilion. McColl was arrested by Deputy Zachary Hoy following the accident and released on appearance tickets.

Ryan Austin Maxwell, 19, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Maxwell is accused of harassment 2nd at 1:11 p.m., July 18.  No details were released on his alleged actions. He was arrested by Deputy Carlos Ortiz Speed and issued an appearance ticket.

This past year’s 4-H livestock auction contained some pretty lucrative creatures, Jocelyn Sikorski says.

The event raised “a quarter million dollars,” and included a pair of pricey foul.

“Two chickens sold for $752. I said, ‘how big are these chickens?’” she said during her report to Genesee County’s Public Service Committee Monday. “I’m excited and looking forward to next week.”

That auction was at the end of the 2021 Genesee County Fair, and, as a result of the pandemic, organizers had opted to go another way with a hybrid model. Sikorski, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension Genesee, believes that was key to offering bidders more flexibility to view the animals and bid on them, versus only being able to attend in person at a particular time and date.

“When COVID hit … in 2020 we had to go completely online for the auction, and our auctioneers were able to work with us and do that. So last year, we did a hybrid. Bidding started and people could actually see the livestock online prior, and start putting in their bids,” she said. “And (the auctioneer) actually operated it both live and virtual last year during the event, and I think that really boosted us.”

There was no fair in 2019, and Sikorski also believes that “people wanted to be back out in the community and supporting what was going on in Genesee County, and, really, the county fair last year was the first really big event.”

Before the pandemic, the auction was done in person at the fairgrounds on Route 5. After the success of this past one, the auction will once again be offered in hybrid form, Sikorski said.

The 4-H Market Animal Auction Program allows youth to raise poultry, beef steers, dairy steers, hogs, lambs, and goats for the purpose of selling in the auction at the fair, her report states. Youth gain hands-on experience raising animals while learning important life skills, and the program is “highly supported by local businesses and families,” it states.

Gross sales were “record-breaking,” with a total of $256,723.50 that came from the sale of 35 beef steers, four dairy steers, 16 goats, 52 hogs, 12 lambs and 36 pairs of meat chickens. A 4 percent commission is kept by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee to cover costs incurred with the program, and the remainder goes to the youth participants, she said.

Organizers are anticipating strong participation in 4-H during this year’s fair, and a new cycle will begin on Oct. 1.

The participation of kids with hogs, dairy steers and goats has increased from 2021, and the program is expanding to include rabbits this year. Entries include 79 hogs from 39 youth, which is the largest category of animals in 2022. Participation numbers for hogs, dairy steers and goats are increased from 2021, with beef, lambs and chickens remaining level. The program is expanding to include market rabbits this year, according to Sikorski’s report.

The live auction is to begin at 6:30 p.m. July 28 at the main show ring. To check it out online, go to 4-H Auction   

The fair, hosted by Genesee County Agricultural Society, runs from Saturday through July 30, with pre-event horse shows from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and fair queen pageant at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 22. Daily offerings include a balloon display and demonstration, pig racing, pony rides, Niagara Down Under, chain saw carving, radio-controlled car races and Johnny Muttville Comix.

Music entertainment includes Savage Cabbage on July 23, Wail-On Tribute to Waylon Jennings on July 24, karaoke on July 25 and 26, and Audibull on July 30. Many other attractions include a small fry tractor pull, racing at Genesee Speedway, a midway of rides, and many 4-H animal shows.

For the schedule and other details, go to Genesee County Fair or call the "Fair Phone" at (585) 344-2424.

In other news, Sikorski said that the Ag in the Classroom is becoming a “strong and powerful program,” with four public — Batavia, Elba, Byron-Bergen and Oakfield-Alabama — and one parochial -- St. Joe’s — school districts participating.

“I’m glad to hear it’s coming back,” Legislator Marianne Clattenburg said. “The kids really liked that program.”

File photos by Howard Owens.

Call it a glitch, snafu or small bump in the works, but when the city’s power plant stopped pumping out water this past weekend, it was a good test for city and Genesee County officials, Tim Hens says.

A “controller issue” involving a sending unit in a control panel “died” Sunday, he said.

The county highway superintendent said that water storage tanks were being used in lieu of working pumps. He called the incident a “hiccup,” however he used the scenario as a warning that there’s not a limitless supply of water. He presented it to the committee because Genesee County owns the water plant and the City of Batavia is responsible for operations per a water agreement between the two entities.

Legislator John Deleo asked how long could the existing water supply have lasted before it emptied out. Hens estimated eight hours. There was “a lot of cooperation” between the city, county and town, he said, and backup plans that included reaching out to Erie County if needed.

When the pumps stopped working, water levels dropped in the tanks pretty quickly, Hens said.

“We called the Water Authority, and they increased their pumping at North Road up to about 3.5 million gallons, which is the highest we've ever pushed through there,” he said. “We were ready to pull the trigger with Erie County to open that valve up too, but by the time we had gotten to that point, the city figured out that sending unit and basically short-circuited it, and it's been running on manual ever since.”

"Pumps that pump finished water into the system malfunctioned and threw an alarm because the sensor could not detect water in the clear well," she said. "To stopthe issue with the sensor alarm, city water plant employees cut the power to the pumps. When the power was restored, the pumps failed to restart."

Nelson Weibel, chief operator of the water plant, was able to re-engineer the system for it to become functional again, she said.

Three each of former and current employees, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Michael Ficarella, Tabelski and an electrician were called in to help troubleshoot the problem, which Tabelski said seemed to be fixed by 5 p.m., although a second failure occurred "that was quickly remedied."

A sensor company technician visited the plant Monday and provided a demo sensor system as a temporary fix until the unit is replaced, Tabelski said. 

If those pumps had not been restored when they were, city customers may have been affected in three to six hours, she said. 
There was also coordination with the city Fire Department and county Emergency Management Services to prepare a water drafting plan in the event of a fire.

Tabelski was grateful for the "skill, dedication and ability" city employees demonstrate to solve critical problems under pressure, she said.

"I would like to highlight the dedicated city employees who are trained and licensed to provide drinking water to residents and businesses," she said. "We have operators on staff 24/7 ensuring the quality of water from the plant is safe, and I would like to personally thank them for their hard work and dedication."  

 Meanwhile, officials are hoping the rain “tamps back the demand a little bit and buys us a little bit of time,” Hens said.

“This is the kind of stuff that we've been worried about for years now. In this case, we were lucky that it was only a two-hour (period) and we got through it. But really, other than getting as much water as we can from Monroe County, there is no other Band-Aid. We can't just put another pump somewhere and pump water,” he said. So if it had gone on for any extended period of time yesterday or into the night, we would have probably lost, we would have been able to replace probably half of the capacity of the plant, but we would have been short about 2 million gallons.”

“That’s why we’re asking people to not water their lawns or wash their cars. I don’t know why people are trying to fight Mother Nature,” he said. “No matter how much water you use, you can’t fight dry ground.”

In past years, the county’s pleas for reduced water usage were heeded, and it made a tangible difference, Hens said. With a concerted effort to use less, “it can knock off about 300,000 gallons a day.”

Watering one’s home lawn uses up to 2.5 gallons per minute, which would be 150 gallons in an hour. Maybe that doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but it’s not just one household setting up the sprinkler, he said. With a population of just under 60,000 county residents, a modest estimate of 500 households regularly water their lawns. That’s 300 gallons for two hours multiplied by 500, which is 150,000 gallons.

And then say those residents are watering three times a week, for a total of 450,000 gallons of water each week. If this practice is done throughout the summer, which is approximately three months long, or 12 weeks, that adds up to 5.4 million gallons of water going into the ground. That’s not counting watering one’s garden or vehicle.

While the county is doing its part, he said, Hens is also taking personal responsibility to reduce water usage.

“Since I'm the one preaching to not to use water, my vegetable garden is the worst vegetable garden on the East Coast right now. My tomato plants are only about four inches tall,” he said. “So I'm doing my part … I'm not even using the water at my house.”

A woman walked into the Perry Animal Hospital on June 21, crying and with her dog Oddey, according to veterinarian Dr. Laura Westfall.

The dog was showing signs of drug intoxication, Westfall said in a statement to police that helped lead to the arrest of Cassandra Elmore, 30, a resident of River Street, Batavia.

Elmore, according to Westfall, said that Oddey had gotten into a white powder that had fallen to the floor of her residence. 

"Our blood work ruled out any other cause, and the dog itself looked healthy," Westfall wrote in her statement, which is on file at Batavia City Court. Westfall did not state whether the bloodwork positively identified a narcotic in Oddey's system.

Westfall noted that she became aware that Oddey had been treated twice before for the same condition.

On May 15, Elmore took Oddey to Dr. Jacqueline Miller at the Greater Buffalo Veterinarian Emergency Clinic and again on May 25 to the same clinic where Oddey was treated by Dr. Tribetta Spires.

There is no statement from either doctor in Elmore's court file.

Oddey is believed to be a French Bulldog.

According to Assistant Chief Christopher Camp of Batavia Police Department, Elmore took Oddey to veterinarians after finding the dog unresponsive.

According to police reports, Elmore is accused of allowing Oddey to consume cocaine on two occasions and an unidentified narcotic on another occasion.

Elmore faces three counts of injuring an animal under New York Ag and Markets Law Section 353, which states:

A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any animal, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to himself or to another, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglects or refuses to furnish it such sustenance or drink, or causes, procures or permits any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed, or to be deprived of necessary food or drink, or who wilfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

Camp said no drug charges were filed against Elmore because there was no evidence at the time police interacted with her that she was in possession of a narcotic.

Oddey is currently at the Genesee County Animal Shelter and in good health.

Press release:

The Richmond Memorial Library Tweens & Teens Staff will be sponsoring a Book Drive for Children’s and Young Adult books starting this month. The book drive begins July 27th and runs through August 13th, 2022. The books can be for children or teens of all ages, must be in new or good condition, and can be dropped off and put in the purple crates in the RML Foyer anytime the library is open. 

“Books are the way into a world of imagination for young children and teens alike,” shared Teen Librarian Felicia Cecere. “We are so thrilled to be doing the book drive again this year, as it was such a success last year!” 

The Library G.I.F.T. Program (Generate Imagination in Families Today) is dedicated to making new or gently used books available to children and their families in our area, and to raising awareness of the lifelong benefits of early childhood literacy. Bright boxes and shelves of G.I.F.T. books are located at agencies and businesses in Batavia. Children can take a book from the shelf to bring home, read, and keep! Having as few as 20 books in the home has a significant impact on propelling a child to higher lifelong education levels and earnings, potentially breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty  -- and the more books you add, the greater the benefit.

“Batavia is known for being a welcoming community and the donations will truly enhance the G.I.F.T program,” said Children’s Room Assistant Ellen Brokaw. “This program extends out into the community and helps the kids have access to books at specific agencies and businesses in Batavia.”  

For information on the book drive and other library programs, visit the library website at www.batavialibrary.org, or check out our Facebook and Instagram pages!  

Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St in the City of Batavia. The library is open 9 am - 9 pm Monday-Thursday and 9 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday.

Press release:

The Genesee County and Batavia Youth Bureaus are planning the annual Safe Summer Children’s Carnival open to the public to take place on Thursday, July 28 from 10:15 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at David M. McCarthy Ice Arena, 22 Evans Street in Batavia.  One dollar buys a ticket to play 10 games, and children can win “funny money” to redeem for prizes.

Entertainment by “Magic and Illusions of Patrick” is scheduled from 10:15-11:00 a.m. and the games will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break. Folks from the community should plan to bring a bagged lunch or plan to leave for lunch. 

There will also be several community agency booths that the children can visit for a chance to win one of our grand prizes.  For more information on the carnival, please contact Chelsea at the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960.

Photo: File photo from 2018 of the carnival. Photo by Howard Owens.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Water Department will be shutting down the 12-inch water main on Richmond Avenue, from Oak Street to Buxton Avenue, for emergency repairs due to construction on Richmond Avenue.

The length of time the water will be off is unknown.

As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored.  Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.

We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.

Johnny Gene Jenison, 51, of Federal Drive, Batavia, is charged with sexual abuse 1st and forcible touching. Jenison is accused of sexual offenses at the Fairbridge Inn on Federal Drive at 2 p.m., Aug. 10, 2021. He was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court on July 12 and ordered held on $5,000 bail. An order of protection was issued.

Benjamin Donald Seekins, 33, of 37 Woodrow Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI and speeding. Seekins was stopped at 1:45 a.m., July 12, on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Morgan Ewert. He was released on appearance tickets.

Stacy Lynn Patterson, 35, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Patterson is accused of stealing groceries from Walmart in Batavia at 8:23 p.m., July 17.  She was issued an appearance ticket.

Andres Artega, 24, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation. Artega was stopped by Le Roy Patrol Officer Zachary Klafehn at 2:35 a.m., July 17, on Bank Street, Le Roy.  He was issued appearance tickets and released to a third party.

Just before the pandemic hit, Daniel Sprague decided to take his craft to the streets.

You could say that he went with a twist on the pop-up shop: his product was music and he plays wherever he can.

Two years later, Sprague, of Batavia, is still at it. He can be seen wearing white face paint with black circles drawn around his eyes and black lines across his lips from his nose to his chin. Black nail polish and black pin-striped pants with thick silver chains dangling off his pants, long black fingerless gloves, and no shirt finish off his look. No longer Sprague, this musician with a hint of goth is Danny Christ, his stage name.

“I’m just happy to play anywhere,” he said. “I’m happy to be putting my music out here. I play my own material and some covers; a whole lot of genres … mostly pop, punk, and (heavy) metal.”

His soft-spoken manner and air of courtesy belie the hard-core rock star image. In other words, he seems like a nice guy separate from his persona.

The 33-year-old grew up in Bergen and picked up a guitar when he was around 17, he said. He plays in a few bands, including Natives A.D., and the music shifts over to “strictly folk rock” for another group he’s in.

Once COVID swept in and everything closed down, that meant no more open mic nights or live performances in bars, he said. He is open to playing parties and pretty much “any street corners,” just to express himself and share his music with others.

Not only is he passionate about music, but he is willing to — literally — walk the walk. He has no vehicle and walks to his performance spots while carrying a duffle bag, his guitar and a rechargeable amp, which powers up his sound.

Sprague — or if you prefer Christ — takes the bus to destinations farther away, such as Buffalo or Rochester. He means it when he says he will play anywhere. As for his stage name, it’s not meant to be an anti-Christ message or anything like that, he said.

While standing on the corner of North and Bank streets Sunday, it was obvious he was no stranger to locals. Some people beeped, yelled his name, asked how it was going, and one woman stopped to pass him a few dollars.

“Keep spreading the joy Dan,” she said as she drove away.

Those supportive messages are important to Sprague, he said.

“It always makes my day. I’m always happy when people enjoy it,” he said. “I get this reaction everywhere I play.”

The Batavian asked him what he wants people to know as they drive or walk past him and wonder what this dude in black is doing on a street corner?

“I don’t want them to be afraid. I hope to inspire them to do what they want,” he said. “I want to set an example to always follow your dreams.”

Check out a snippet of his song, "Apocalypse."

For more information about Danny Christ, go to stevil.bandcamp.com

Daniel Sprague, aka Danny Christ, performs his tunes Sunday at a street corner in Batavia. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Previously:

Press release:

Power and Construction Group crews are scheduled to begin work on the night of July 18, 2022 for the NYPA-City of Batavia LED Street Light Project.

The tentative schedule is as follows:

• Monday & Tuesday – start/finish Main Street and then start Oak Street.
• Tuesday & Wednesday – finish Oak Street and then start Ellicott Street/Route 63.
• Wednesday through Friday - finish Ellicott Street/Route 63 and all other cobra head street light locations.

Traffic delays should be expected; however, no street closures are anticipated at this time.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank the public for their patience.

Morgan Griffin, with a blue and white design on her face and while clutching several plastic animal figures, was happy that she made a trip from Rochester to Batavia Saturday.

The 11-year-old  came with some family members to EverPresent Church’s Fun in the Son carnival. The event greeted visitors with a balloon arch at the entrance, and had several tents set up with games, food and drink, colorful bounce houses and a petting zoo with goats.

“I loved it,” Morgan said. “All the excitement and how nice the people are. They did a good job.”

Her family knows someone in the church and heard about the event, so they took a drive to check it out. Morgan visited every tent and won the toy animals as game prizes.

Much closer to the scene was April Allison. She lives nearby and happened to spot the activity in the City Centre parking lot.

“I was dropping my boyfriend off at work when I saw the balloons,” she said. “So we walked over here.”

Her daughter Adara, who’s going into the fourth grade at John Kennedy Intermediate, liked the bounce houses best. They were checking out the petting zoo after spending a couple of hours there.

Jill Turner of Batavia had seen an online post about the Nortons seeking vendors who might want to help out, so she responded. She has four miniature goats and offered a small petting zoo. They were enclosed in a mobile fence that opened for visiting children to pet and feed them.

“I thought it would be good to bring my goats and do a good deed,” she said.

The zoo was a popular spot. Several children and their parents stopped by, including Adara and her mom. They had seen most of the exhibits, but weren’t quite finished, Adara said just before suggesting the next booth to visit.

“Snowcones,” she said, as the sun beamed down in 80-degree weather.

Pastors Jason and Michelle Norton, leaders of the church, wanted the event to “be a blessing” for the community, and they felt it was a mission accomplished.

Jason worked the refreshment stand while Michelle made announcements from behind tables full of raffle gift baskets. It had been going very well, she said, and Jason had sold more than 150 hotdogs with about an hour remaining before closing time.

From the moment the official beginning hit — 11 a.m. — “we were a steady busy flow of families all the way ’til 3 p.m.,” Michelle said.

“From what we gathered, the children were super blessed; they were so excited and delighted with all the prizes they won, and I know the church family was thrilled to be able to serve our community,” she said. “People were asking us about our church, almost everyone that came had a chance to go through the church and we had well over 100 kids get their faces painted, along with hundreds winning multiple prizes.”

While one goal was to offer some fun entertainment for kids and families, the Nortons also wanted to introduce the church to the community, and vice versa. Jason estimated that "well over 500" people attended, and considered it a huge success.

Mary Hecht sat in the middle of all of the action as she sold tickets for the games and other activities. She’s been going to the church for several years, she said.

Everyone involved has been very pleased, she said.

“We’ve really been very busy; God really blessed us,” she said. “ We were all praying this morning before it started. This has been really nice for the community, it’s been really nice.”

The event was a success on so many levels, Michelle Norton said, including to serve as a fundraiser.

“We raised half the funds for a much-needed heating and air conditioning unit that we need to install, and we made some great connections and some more networking,” she said.  “Our plan is to do this annually. We are playing around with the idea of taking the Fourth of July the day that we have our festival, as long as GO ART! is not doing it anymore.”

The plan is to expand upon what they offered this year, she said, by adding carnival rides, vendors and possibly food trucks.

"We want to turn that parking lot into a full-fledged carnival with some live music, and I think it will happen by next year,” she said.

For previous coverage about the church, go to EverPresent

Top photo: The entrance to Fun in the Son at the City Centre parking lot next to event host EverPresent Church; Morgan Griffin, 11, of Rochester; Visitors at the petting zoo, provided by Jill Turner, center, and Pastor Michelle Norton making announcements during the event Saturday in Batavia.